External recruitment freezes have become a harsh reality of life for Australian public servants as governments seek to contain wages and make savings, but is it possible to turn a no=hire zone into something positive?

The usual rules are that when a freeze is on, jobs can only be filled internally, although there are often exemptions such as some frontline staff, fixed-term positions linked to specific projects and critical or revenue-raising positions that cannot be filled internally.

Responses to the hiring ban can include staff acting up or people being transferred or seconded, or the dreaded: hiring contractors.

The painful Australian Public Service hiring freeze began late in 2013 and lasted until mid-2015, after more than 10,000 jobs were shed. Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett announced a six-month halt to external recruitment in December last year, after forecasting a $3.1 billion hole in the state’s finances by the end of June 2016.

Government News sat down with Karen Evans, Managing Director of Acendre, which has many public service clients, to discuss how to survive and thrive when non-essential hiring shuts down.

Read the entire story here.